Classic southern Sweet Potato Casserole is a must- have for holiday dinners. We enjoy ours topped with pecans and brown sugar and I know your family will love it too.
Soon we’ll all be enjoying one of the most festive days of the year – Thanksgiving! Honestly, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
There’s none of the gift buying and giving pressure that there is for Christmas, the decorations are beautiful without being so over the top, and the whole day is all about food! Even more than that, the idea of setting aside a day on which to just be “thankful” is humbling.
We may grumble about our situation sometimes, we may look at what others have accomplished with just a tinge of “wishfulness,” but if we truly look around we’ll find so much for which we should give thanks.
I was planning my Thanksgiving menu a few days ago and, as usual, it included my classic southern Sweet Potato Casserole. Oh my. It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving here without sweet potatoes in some form or fashion and this casserole just happens to be my favorite.
This is pretty much the same the recipe that my mother has served for years. Some folks like theirs topped with marshmallows and some with this pecan and brown sugar mixture. I like both!
Southern heritage recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole with pecan topping. Click To Tweet
How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping:
Place the sweet potatoes in a deep pot with enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook 40-45 minutes or until tender. Remove the sweet potatoes from the water and allow them to cool enough to handle. I slice them open to facilitate the cooling process.
While the sweet potatoes cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and generously butter a baking dish.
Peel the sweet potatoes, place them in a mixing bowl and mash. To the mashed sweet potatoes, add the softened butter, light brown sugar, milk, egg, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. (Note: if your sweet potatoes are still quite warm, wait until you’ve beaten them for a minute or so before you add the egg. This will help keep the egg from cooking in the heat of the sweet potatoes.)
Spread the sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the topping. Sprinkle evenly over the sweet potato mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes. Makes 4 servings. Easily doubles to serve a larger crowd.
Enjoy!
Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 medium sweet potatoes
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
For the topping:
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1 tblsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 tblsp. softened butter
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a deep pot with enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook 40-45 minutes or until tender. Remove the potatoes from the water and allow them to cool enough to handle. Peel the potatoes, place in a mixing bowl and mash.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a baking dish.
- To the mashed sweet potatoes, add the softened butter, light brown sugar, milk, egg, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread into the prepared baking dish.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the topping. Sprinkle evenly over the sweet potato mixture.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Easily doubled to serve a larger crowd.
Notes
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More sweet potato recipes you might enjoy:
- Dad’s Sweet Potato Pie from Joy the Baker
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries from Inspired Taste
- Scalloped Sweet Potatoes from Taste and Tell
- Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes from Simply Recipes
- Apple Bacon Stuffed Sweet Potatoes from How Sweet It Is
Very similar to one I make. By accident I mixed the topping in a saucepan where I had melted the butter It was a pain to spread but the flavor was incredible.
More butter, more better!!
Now THAT is a sweet potato casserole! Loving all of that crumb topping :)
That topping is so good! Of course, I like the marshmallows as well :-)
Wow!! It looks lovely!
Thanks, Brenda. I know it wouldn’t be for you with your sugar-free focus, but I do appreciate the comment :-)
Just gotta have sweet potato casserole on the table next Thursday. Your dish looks fantastic!
Thanks Marjory. Yes, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it.
It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving at our house without sweet potato casserole!
Looks so delicious!! :)
Sweet potato casserole is a must have on my dinner table! looks yummy!
I knew I’d find something luscious here for the Thanksgiving table. I think the topping is my favorite part of the sweet potato casserole!!
Mine too, Lora! I even like the older toasted marshmallow topping :-)
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, too! And that topping… oh my. Looks amazing!
Thanks Erin!
I knew it was coming, but it still snuck up on me. This beautiful sweet potato casserole is welcome at my Thanksgiving table anytime.
Thanksgiving and Christmas sneak up on me every year, Heather! You’d think I’d learn by now :-)
Certainly a classic on our Thanksgiving table! Now I’m hungry….
You reminded me of a dish my grandma would make occasionally – I think sweet potatoes are going to find their way onto the holiday menu now at my home. Thanks Lana!!!
Oh that topping really makes the dish. Wonderful recipe, Lana. Thanks.
This is so perfect for the holidays!
Yumyumyum! This has me SO excited for Thanksgiving! Can’t wait!!
Sweet Potatoes are a much for Thanksgiving!! Love that you’re making them the same way that your mom did!
This looks like the perfect comfort dish for Thanksgiving! My toddler is a big fan of sweet potatoes so I’m going to have to make this for her!
One of my favorite side dishes! Yum! Happy Thanksgiving!
I LOVE sweet potato casserole, and this one looks amazing!
This looks wonderful! Can I make it the night before and reheat it the next day? Or should I prepare it the night before and wait to bake it?
If I was making it ahead of time, I’d do the sweet potato part but wait to put the topping on right before I baked it. Hope that helps!
If I were to use canned sweet potatoes, how many should I use? I don’t have time to prepare them with fresh… plus I need to make enough for 12+ people. should I triple everything?